Sectorized cooling arrangement for refrigerators

ABSTRACT

A sectorized cooling arrangement for refrigerators housing products, wherein the arrangement has a direct access to the products without having to open a cooling chamber of the refrigerator, which arrangement has a compartment defining sectorized housings and air passage regulators between the cooling chamber of the refrigerator and the compartment.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to the field of devices, appliances and arrangements for household, public, or labor use, etc. used for cooling products, or packaging containers of products, preferably of mass consumption, such as beverages and, more preferably beer containers, and more particularly the invention relates to a sectorized cooling arrangement and selective of these products, preferably for use in home refrigerators, and includes a flow-regulating device of the cold air which enters the cooling sectorized compartment.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART

Refrigerators for products in general, whether industrial, household use, public use, dispensers, etc. consist of an insulated cabinet that encloses what is called cold or cooling chamber. Household refrigerators or coolers, comprise, in general, these cabinets with their inside divided into two parts, a lower part dedicated to cooling of the products, food, etc. in general, within a main space or chamber having a main access door to it, and a top part, dedicated to a greater cooling or freezing of some special products. This top, smaller part, can be a freezer with more cold than in the main chamber, or may be a freezer with even lower temperatures, down to −25° C. In the main chamber, meanwhile, usually there is a temperature of between 5 and 8° C., cold enough for foods that are stored there.

For some products, however, none of these temperatures are the most appropriate for conditioning and consumption. For example, beer is a typical product in accordance with the customs of some countries, particularly in the Americas, it is consumed at temperatures below zero, that is below the 5° C. of the main cooling chamber, but above of the −25° C. in the freezer.

There are coolers and refrigerators designed to generate and maintain desired temperatures for these products such as beer, but they are special refrigerators for food outlets, restaurants, bottle dispensers, etc. However, household refrigerators or coolers which are adapted or have special compartments for conditioning beer and other products, which preserve these products at a sectorized temperature and present an easy access to them quickly, easily and selectively, are not known.

Therefore, it would be highly desirable to have a new arrangement either embedded in refrigerators at the factory or adaptable to household refrigerators or coolers already manufactured, that preserve products such as beer containers at a suitable temperature using the cold-generating capacity of the coldest part of the cooling chambers, presenting a shortcut for the user to remove and store these products without having to open the doors to the other cooling chamber of the refrigerator.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a sectorized cooling arrangement for refrigerators which allows creating a space of selected and controlled temperatures for products that require so and presenting a direct access to these products without having to open other chambers refrigerator cold.

It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a sectorized cooling arrangement for refrigerators, wherein the refrigerator may have one or more doors, and wherein at least one of said doors, preferably the access door of the colder chamber of the refrigerator, comprises a sectorized compartment for housing and maintenance of differentiated products at a desired and regulated temperature.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide a sectorized cooling arrangement for refrigerators of the type having at least one access door to at least one cooling chamber of the refrigerator, where said access door presents a sectorized compartment having a plurality of container sectors of consumer products packagings, the compartment presenting an inner wall separating it from said cooling chamber, said compartment further presenting at least one exhaust fan/air blower capable of taking air from the cooling chamber and conduct it to said container sectors of packaging in accordance with one or more preselected temperatures.

It is also an object of the present invention to provide a sectorized cooling arrangement for refrigerators including an airflow-regulating device which improves the functionality of the cooling arrangement, being a manual regulating device.

It is further another object of the present invention to provide a sectorized cooling arrangement for refrigerators including a plurality of airflow-regulating devices, each of which can be regulated independently from each other, for adjusting the incoming cold inside of the sectorized cooling arrangement.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide a sectorized cooling arrangement for refrigerators including a flow-regulating device of the air entering the sectorized cooling arrangement, wherein the regulator comprises at least one rotating cap having a window and least one gripping element, at least one main body threaded to said rotating cap and having an upper end with a face provided with a window and an open lower end, and at least one base connected to the main body and presenting a central through hole.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For clarity and understanding of the object of the present invention, it has been illustrated in several figures, in which the invention has been represented in one of the preferred embodiments, all by way of example, wherein:

FIG. 1 presents a household refrigerator or cooler of the type having two doors, a lower or principal one for accessing the main cooling chamber of the refrigerator and an upper door for accessing the freezer, the refrigerator being provided with the sectorized cooling arrangement of the invention;

FIG. 2 presents a front view of the upper door of the freezer, provided with the sectorized cooling arrangement of the invention, separated from the refrigerator;

FIG. 3 presents a top view of the upper door of the freezer, provided with the sectorized cooling arrangement of the invention, separated from the refrigerator;

FIG. 4 presents a perspective view of the upper door of the freezer, provided with the sectorized cooling arrangement of the invention, opened in a first opening function for accessing the cooling chamber such as the freezer;

FIG. 5 presents a perspective view of the upper door of the freezer, provided with the sectorized cooling arrangement of the invention, opened in a second opening function for accessing the compartment housing the containers to be cooled;

FIG. 6 presents an exploded view of the upper door of the freezer, provided with the sectorized cooling arrangement of the invention;

FIG. 7 presents a perspective view, taken from above and in section, of the upper door of the freezer, provided with the sectorized cooling arrangement of the invention;

FIG. 8 presents a side sectional view of the interior of the sectorized cooling arrangement of the invention where we can observe the flow direction of the cool air;

FIG. 9 presents a side sectional view of the interior of the sectorized cooling arrangement of the invention similar to FIG. 8, wherein an airflow-regulating device is illustrated, also in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 10, similar to FIG. 6 shows an exploded view of the sectorized cooling arrangement in conjunction with the airflow-regulating device in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 11 presents a perspective and exploded view of the airflow-regulating device of the present invention;

FIG. 12 presents a front view of the cap of the regulating device in a neutral position, where a medium opening of the regulator is observed;

FIG. 13 presents a front view of the cap of FIG. 12, where it has been rotated counterclockwise in order to restrict the passage of air flow from the upper cooling chamber towards the cooling sectorized compartment and

FIG. 14 presents a front view of the cap of FIG. 12, where it has been rotated clockwise in order to expand the passage of air flow from the upper cooling chamber to the cooling sectorized compartment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring now to the figures, it is seen that the invention consists of a new sectorized cooling arrangement of selected and controlled temperature for products that require so, particularly beverages, and mainly beverages that require a selected temperature range, such as beer, allowing them to be deposited and removed without having to open other cooling chamber of the refrigerator and thus avoiding the heat input to the same that may harm other products. This, of course, helps to reduce the power consumption of the refrigerator.

It is so, in accordance with FIGS. 1 to 8, the sectorized cooling arrangement of the present invention can be used in a refrigerator 1 of the type having a main cooling sector 2 with a main access door 3 to the main sector 2 and a freezer or cooling chamber sector 4 with an access door 5 for the same, wherein said access door 5 has a sectorized compartment 6 having a plurality of packaging containers sectors 7 of consumer products, which are defined by a plurality of partitions 8 forming separated housings 9 for said containers 7, as best illustrated in FIG. 5.

Each of said separated housings 9 for said containers 7 may present a cold air passage regulator towards housings 9. In the preferred embodiment of FIGS. 1 to 8, each regulating device comprises an exhaust fan/air blower 10 which may be a fan. In turn, each air passage regulator or exhaust fan/air blower 10 has a suction side that faces said cooling chamber 4 and one blowing side that faces said sectorized compartment, thereby allowing the entry of cold air inside the housings 9 so as to maintain the desired temperature of the containers disposed thereon. Likewise, said sectorized chamber presents an inner wall 11 which separates said cooling chamber 4 and having a plurality of slots 12 through which cold air flows from the cooling chamber towards the sectorized compartment.

The arrangement of slots 12 as illustrated in FIG. 6, do not indicate that the invention is limited thereto, but other arrangements such as in the top, side or bottom part of the inner wall 11 can also be considered and used for the slots 12 without any problem. Thus, the cold air passes through the slots 12 and flows into the top of the housings 9 wherein the exhaust fan/air blowers 10 are arranged so that they maintain the temperature of the containers, wherein the air returns to the cooling chamber through the lower end of the housing 9, as best illustrated in FIG. 8. Alternatively, however, and to facilitate the circulation of cold air, each housing 9 may have at least one slot (confirm if well) in one of the walls.

On the other hand, said sectorized compartment is formed by a compartment structure defined by a plurality of frames 13, 14, 15 and 16 mounted on respective lateral supports with “L” profile 17, a lower support 18 and a top support 19, said compartment being closed towards cooling chamber by said inner wall 11 and being closed outwards by a front panel 20 of said at least one access door 5 refrigerator 1.

Said front panel 20 of the access door 5 of the refrigerator 1, said compartment structure and said inner wall 11 form a pivot assembly in the refrigerator 1 through at least a first assembly opening hinge 21 for accessing the cooling chamber 4 while said front panel 20 of the access door 5 of the refrigerator is pivotally connected to said compartment structure via at least one second door opening hinge 22 for accessing the sectorized compartment where the containers 7 are arranged.

In accordance with FIGS. 1 to 5, the first hinge in the upper right corner of the refrigerator 1 is illustrated, while the second hinge 22 is arranged on the left side of the sectorized compartment. This arrangement of the hinges 21 and 22 generates that the access door has to be opened to the right for accessing the cooling chamber 4, or to the left for accessing the sectorized compartment where the containers 7 are. However, this disposition of the hinges is merely illustrative and not limiting to the invention, the arrangement of the hinges may vary in accordance with each manufacturer and specific requirements of each client, to thereby allow the opening of the access door 5 towards both left to right side for accessing the cooling chamber and its corresponding complementary opening movement for accessing the sectorized compartment. That is, the access door 5 of the present invention may have the following opening configurations:

-   -   Opening to the right for accessing to the cooling chamber and         opening to the left for accessing the sectorized compartment; or         else,     -   Opening to the left for accessing the cooling chamber and         opening to the right for accessing the sectorized compartment.

Although the opening of the access door has been exemplified to the left or right for accessing the cooling chamber, with subsequent opening to the left or right for accessing the sectorized compartment, this does not imply that the invention is limited to such configurations, but the invention also contemplates the opening of the access door up and down for accessing the cooling chamber with its correlative opening up or down for accessing the sectorized compartment.

It is emphasized that, said at least one access door 5 with a sectorized compartment is the freezer door. Likewise, said sectorized compartment can have at least one temperature sensor (not shown) while said front panel 20 may have at least one visual access window 23 for such consumer products housed in the housings 9 of the sectorized compartment said window 23 being together with a transparent sheet 24 which may be glass or any plastic material well known in the art field.

In turn, the front panel 20 is mounted in said compartment structure through a top cap 25, a bottom cap 26 and said second hinges 22 which are fixed to said top cap 25 and bottom cap 26. In turn, front panel 20 has at least one gripping/opening arrangement 27 to facilitate the opening/closing thereof and at least one temperature display screen 28 within said sectorized compartment. It is emphasized that, said main access door 3 also has a gripping/opening arrangement 29 to facilitate the opening/closing thereof.

According now to FIGS. 9 to 14, an alternative of the invention is illustrated, in which compartment 6 with housings 9 is provided with airflow-regulating devices, also known as cold air passage regulators from the cooling chamber to the interior of the sectorized compartment, also all in accordance with the invention.

It is noteworthy that in FIGS. 9 to 14 the same reference numbers of FIGS. 1 to 8 will be used to describe those equal parts, while reference numbers from 101 will be used to describe the pertinent parts to the regulating device.

In accordance with this embodiment of the present invention, the airflow-regulating device is indicated by the general reference 101 and it comprises at least one rotating cap 102 having a window 103, at least a gripping element 104, a pair of indicators comprising a form of “+” 105 and “−” 106 arranged on either side of gripping element 104 and an internal thread 107. While it has been indicated that indicators have a shape of “+” and “−”, this does not mean that the invention is limited thereto, but other forms and arrangements can be considered and used without any problem in the present invention to indicate a greater or lesser opening of the air regulation passage.

Also, the device of the invention has at least a main body 108 having an upper end 109 with a face 110 provided with a window 111, and an open lower end 112. The main body 108 is threaded to rotating cap 102 by an external thread 113 formed in a portion of upper end 109. Furthermore, the present invention is provided with at least one base 114 comprising a base platform 115, a projection 116 which is coupled to the inside of lower end 112 main body 108 and a central through hole 117, wherein said base platform 115 presents a section greater than the projection section 116.

In accordance with FIGS. 9 and 10, we can observe that the device of the invention is mounted between respective holes 118 made in one of the walls of the housing 9 and the inner wall 11. Thus, the base platform 115 is facing the cooling chamber 4 while the rotating cap 102 is facing the interior of the housing 9 of the sectorized compartment.

Thus, the flow rate or airflow no longer enters forcibly by fan 10 through the top of the housing 9, as illustrated in FIG. 1, but the air flow entering through the device of the invention, FIG. 9, i.e., the air flow enters through the central through hole 117 of the base 114, flows through the inside the main body 108, passes through the windows 111 and 103 of the face 110 and the rotating cap 102 respectively, and enters the housing 9 to carry out the cooling of the container.

While the illustrated device of the present invention comprises a cylindrical structure, this does not imply that the invention is limited thereto, but other forms can also be considered and used.

Regarding the air flow regulation, the same is illustrated schematically in FIGS. 12 to 14. The air flow regulation depends on the position of the window 103 of the rotating cap 102 with respect to the face 110—window 111 of the main body 108. In FIG. 12, an intermediate position for the air intake can be seen, in which the window 103 of the cap 102 comprises one half of the face 110 and one half of the window 111 of the main body 108.

If one desires to reduce or restrict the air flow, cap 102 must be rotated by gripping the gripping element 104, counterclockwise in accordance with FIG. 13. In this case, window 103 covers a greater portion of face 110 of window 111. Otherwise, if one desires to increase or enhance the air flow, cap 102 must be rotated clockwise as illustrated in FIG. 14. In this case, window 103 covers a larger portion of window 111 than of face 110.

In this way, we can carry out the regulation of the air flow entering the housing, in a practical, quick and easy way.

It is noteworthy that, although it has been described that counterclockwise rotation of the top allows a reduction of air flow, and that the clockwise rotation of the cap allows an increase of air flow, this does not imply that the invention is limited thereto, but the invention can be modified and adapted to reverse the directions of rotation without any inconvenience.

Thus, the sectorized cooling arrangement for refrigerators of the present invention is incorporated and built, where the same allows creating a space of selected and controlled temperature for products that require so, with direct access to these products without having to open other cooling chambers of the refrigerator. Also, the invention does not reduce the available space for product storage nor varies the consuming cooling category, using the same standard cooling source of any refrigerator. 

1. Sectorized cooling arrangement for refrigerators having at least one access door to at least one cooling chamber of the refrigerator, wherein: said at least one access door has a sectorized compartment having a plurality of container sectors of consumer products packagings, wherein the compartment presents an inner wall separating it from said cooling chamber, further presenting said compartment at least one air passage regulating device which has a cold air entrance side facing said cooling chamber and an cold air outlet side facing said compartment.
 2. The sectorized cooling arrangement for refrigerators according to claim 1, wherein the refrigerator has a main sector with a main access door to said main sector and freezer sector with an access door for it and that at least one door with sectorized compartment is the freezer door.
 3. The sectorized cooling arrangement for refrigerators according to claim 1, wherein said compartment presents a plurality of partitions forming separate housings for such packagings.
 4. The sectorized cooling arrangement for refrigerators according to claim 1, wherein said at least one cold air passage regulator is an exhaust fan/air blower.
 5. The sectorized cooling arrangement for refrigerators according to claim 3, wherein it presents a cold air passage regulator for each of said separate housings for packagings.
 6. The sectorized cooling arrangement for refrigerators according to claim 1, wherein said compartment is formed by a compartment structure which is closed towards the cooling chamber by said wall and is closed outwards by a front panel of said at least one refrigerator door.
 7. The sectorized cooling arrangement for refrigerators according to claim 1, wherein said front panel of the refrigerator door, said compartment structure and said inner wall form a pivot assembly in the refrigerator through at least one first opening hinge of the assembly for accessing the cooling chamber, while said front panel of the refrigerator door is pivotally connected to said compartment structure by at least one second opening hinge of the door for accessing the compartment.
 8. The sectorized cooling arrangement for refrigerators according to claim 1, wherein said compartment has at least one temperature sensor.
 9. The sectorized cooling arrangement for refrigerators according to claim 1, wherein said at least one refrigerator door has a visual access window to such consumer products housed in the compartment housings.
 10. The sectorized cooling arrangement for refrigerators according to claim 9, wherein said at least one refrigerator door presents a temperature display screen within said compartment.
 11. The sectorized cooling arrangement for refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein said air passage regulating device comprises: at least one rotating cap having a window and at least one gripping element, at least one main body threaded to said rotating cap and presenting an upper end with a face provided with a window and an open lower end, and at least a base connected to the main body and presenting a central through hole.
 12. The sectorized cooling arrangement for refrigerators according to claim 11, wherein said rotating cap presents an internal thread and a pair of indicators arranged on either side of the gripping element.
 13. The sectorized cooling arrangement for refrigerators according to claim 11, wherein the upper end of the main body presents an external thread.
 14. The sectorized cooling arrangement for refrigerators according to claim 11, wherein said base comprises a base platform and a projection which is coupled to the inside of the lower end of the main body, said base presents a larger section than the projection section.
 15. The sectorized cooling arrangement for refrigerators according to claim 11, wherein the base platform faces the cooling chamber while the rotating cap faces the inside of the sectorized compartment housing.
 16. The sectorized cooling arrangement for refrigerators according to claim 11, wherein it is mounted between respective holes in one of the housing walls and the inner wall.
 17. The sectorized cooling arrangement for refrigerators according to claim 11, wherein it presents operating positions between open and closed.
 18. The sectorized cooling arrangement for refrigerators according to claim 11, wherein it presents a cylindrical shape. 